Ditzel, Nana (1923—)

Danish designer of jewelry, textiles and furniture. Born Nana Hauberg in 1923; daughter of William Hauberg and Erna (Lytzen) Hauberg; graduated from high school, 1942; graduated from the Academy of Arts and Crafts, 1946; married architect Jörgen Ditzel (died 1961); married Knud Heide.

Beginning in the early 1950s, Nana Ditzel, in collaboration with her husband Jörgen Ditzel, established herself as an imaginative and multi-faceted designer. The couple initially drew attention to their work with their light and elegant basket chairs but gained even wider acclaim as designers of jewelry in silver and gold for George Jensen. The simple yet expressive shapes and the quality of execution in their work brought the Ditzels the Lunning Prize in 1956, as well as silver and gold medals from exhibits in Milan and other European cities.

After Jörgen Ditzel's death in 1961, Nana continued on her own, designing jewelry, furniture and textiles. With the intent of allowing people to move more freely in and among her furniture, she gained a reputation for untraditional designs and materials, such as foam rubber and fiberglass. She has designed children's furniture according to the same principle; one example is a high chair elegant and graceful enough to be considered a permanent fixture. Ditzel's textiles show her sure sense of color and pattern in blankets, chair covers and wall hangings. To meet heavy demands, she set up shop in London in 1968.

sources:

Haard, Ulf af Segerstad. Modern Scandinavian Furniture. Copenhagen: Gyldendal, 1963.

Karlsen, Arne. Dansk Möbelkunst i det 20. aarhundrede, 2 vols. Aarhus: Christian Ejlers Forlag, 1991.

Inga Wiehl , native of Denmark, teaching in Yakima, Washington